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My torment, by City star Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson has revealed the tortured battle with inner demons which has led to him being released by City.
The Blues star, once tipped to be an England captain and hailed as ‘the new Colin Bell’, told MEN Sport he has been undergoing treatment for several years at the Priory Clinic, which specialises in dealing with mental illness, alcoholism and gambling addiction.
And in a heartfelt plea, 24-year-old Johnson, whose football career appears to be over, has asked that he be ‘left alone to live the rest of my life’.It has emerged that City had decided in December to quietly pay up Johnson’s contract, which was due to expire at the end of June, and release him.
Asked whether he had a message to Blues fans, who are disappointed that he did not fulfil his potential, Urmston-born Johnson, a product of the City academy, said: “I am more disappointed than anyone but that’s the way it goes.”
He initially declined to say any more but rang us back, revealing: “I have been attending the Priory Clinic for a number of years now with regard to my mental health and would be grateful if I could now be left alone to live the rest of my life.”
The Priory has treated several high-profile stars, including Stan Collymore, Paul Gascoigne and Ricky Hatton.
City legend Colin Bell said last night: “It’s a terrible shame. It’s hard to accept when your career ends early and for his to end at his age will be really
difficult to take.” MuEN
Johnson's first goal
Manchester City fan and Daily Shit-Stirring Cunt writer Alex Horlock on the player who seemed at one point in his career as if he was going to be the real deal
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I remember being at the City of Manchester Stadium when the 19-year-old Michael Johnson scored his first Premier League goal. And what a belter it was.
It was August 15, 2007, City’s first home game of the 2007-08 season and Sven Goran Eriksson’s side were hoping to build on an opening-day victory at West Ham United. Johnson scored the only goal of the game, as a City team, which had largely been cobbled together after a frantic transfer window, edged a win over newly-promoted Derby County.
The boyish, scruffy-haired midfielder showed a moment of pure inspiration as he wriggled clear of two Derby players on the right wing before playing a neat one-two with Elano to skip past another.
He then kept his cool and, with the outside of his right boot, arced the ball beautifully into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures and being mobbed by the likes of Vedran Corluka, Dietmar Hamann and Stephen Ireland.
Not only was it an immense relief for the City fans, who hadn’t seen a home league goal for 13 hours previously, but many believed they might have unearthed a future gem.
That year the home faithful were eager to see Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra’s signings such as Rolando Bianchi and Brazilian duo Geovanni and Elano, but not many foresaw this Urmston-born lad having the initial impact he had.
But since the subsequent season, the former England U21 international’s career has stuttered due to injury and a number of personal problems.
Not to eulogise the career of such a young player, but it has been a great shame to see him suffer setback after setback having witnessed such early flashes of a raw but undeniable talent.
But he will not play for City again and may struggle to find a club without a massive lifestyle change.
Guardiola 'dream' alerts Chelsea and Man City
Pep Guardiola has revealed his ambition to move to the Premier League, putting a number of English clubs on notice.
Guardiola could be the most sought after manager in the summer after his season-long hiatus from football and the Spaniard insists he would relish the challenge of working in England.
Chelsea and Manchester City have appeared the frontrunners for Guardiola's signature and the 41-year-old's latest comments in a message prepared for the Football Association's 150th anniversary will add fuel to the rumours.
"As a player, I couldn't realise my dream to play there," Guardiola said. "But I hope in the future I have a challenge to be a coach or a manager there and feel the experience of all the coaches and players that have been there.
"It is unique, to play in that league. I want to feel the supporters, the environment, the media and the style of the players.
"I am still young, just 41, so I hope in the future I could train there and enjoy that. I have always found English football very fascinating. The support of the home team is amazing.
"In Italy, Latin people will support you when you are playing and when you lose, they kill you. In England, I'm always surprised people always support everything and that is nice. That's why I hope to have the challenge to train there."
Guardiola's first experience of English football was in 1992 when he featured in Barcelona's European Cup win over Sampdoria and he admits there is plenty attracting him to the Premier League.
"I had the opportunity to play two finals at Wembley and that's why my relationship with England is pretty close," he said. "I played there twice, once as a player when I was 19 and it was my first Champions League as a player, as Barcelona finally won the Champions League. It was a huge honour to play at the old Wembley.
"When I was manager of Barcelona, for our second Champions League in three years, it was a real pleasure to play in the new Wembley."
GOLDEN BOLLOX 16-1-2011
City to make last-ditch plea to tempt United-bound Henderson
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is ready to make a last-ditch attempt to persuade Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson into joining him at Eastlands.
Hotline revealed last week that the 20-year-old England new boy would prefer a move to City’s arch rivals United because he felt there would be more chance of first-team football.
But Mancini remains a huge fan of the playmaker, who has been hailed as “the best young British footballer around” by his Sunderland boss Steve Bruce.
And that’s why Mancini has asked Blues executive Brian Marwood to press ahead with moves to tempt £20million-rated Henderson away.
It would be a major coup for City to put one over United, especially as Henderson has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.
The Black Cats are obviously desperate to keep hold of their top prospect and handed him a five-year contract last April, keeping him with the club until 2015.
But Bruce knows he won’t be able to fend off the big clubs forever – and City have the financial muscle to blow even United out of the water.
Henderson played for England’s Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 sides before making his first full senior appearance under Fabio Capello against France in November and is highly-rated by the Italian coach
Defender Micah Richards will have to wait before he can complete his move away from Manchester City as a sell-on fee payable to former club Oldham is holding up any departure. (News of the World)
New Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko will cost the club an extra £4.2m if he helps them reach next year's Champions League quarter-finals. (News of the World)
MANCHESTER CITY GIVEN WARNING BY BARCELONA
BARCELONA have warned Manchester City to stop “tapping up” their staff.
Barca president Sandro Rosell has revealed City have attempted to sign a number of their employees at all levels of the club’s structure.
City appointed former Barca directors Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain as their chief executive and sporting director respectively earlier this season but Rosell says they want more.
He said: “Their attempts have been unsuccessful, though, as our employees are happy here.”
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Arsenal fans abuse, manhandle ex-player Samir Nasri
Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri was subjected to a bombardment of despicable abuse by former club Arsenal fans, and according to an eye witness, the French international was also manhandled by one of the hooligans. Mobile phone clips posted on the internet show the ex-Gunners star being manhandled and pelted with insults, the Sun reports. Nasri, who quit the Londoners for Manchester City in a 24 million pound move 18 months ago, was called a “traitor”, “c***”, “w*****” and “p****” as he walked to Sunday’s clash with former team-mate Marouane Chamakh, who is on loan at West Ham United. One fan is alleged to have grabbed Nasri round the collar before Chamakh intervened, the paper reports. Arsenal fan Robert Richman tweeted: “Some kids started abusing Nasri, calling him a traitor c***. “Then from nowhere some old boy squares up to Nasri. He had Nasri by the collar and he had to be separated by Chamakh,” he further tweeted. (
Bernstein's away-day fear: FA chairman says travelling fans are being squeezed out
FA chairman David Bernstein fears away supporters are being ‘squeezed’ and that football may be in danger of losing its vital connection with the ‘working-class man’.
Bernstein, once chairman of Manchester City, offered his sympathy to fans from his former club who sent back more than 900 tickets to Arsenal because many refused to pay £62.
‘Gradually away supporters, one way and another, are being squeezed,’ said Bernstein. ‘I did have a degree of sympathy for Man City fans.’
Angry: Manchester City fans were forced to pay £62 for the Arsenal match on Sunday
England’s birthday party clash with Brazil will be played at the Maracana Stadium in Rio on June 2.
The match, to mark the FA’s 150th anniversary, has long been scheduled for this summer, but the finer details were confirmed by the five-times world champions yesterday.
It is England’s first trip to Brazil since the 2-0 win in 1984 when John Barnes scored his magical solo goal.
England manager Roy Hodgson said: ‘It will be a proud moment to take the team back there again.’
And Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is confident the match-up will be one befitting the FA’s milestone.
He said: ‘It will be a great match, a world classic, one of those that everyone wants to be a part of.’
On the specific issue of Arsenal tickets for Category A games - priced from £62 to £126 - Bernstein said: ‘I don’t want to get involved with one particular price, but it does sound pretty heavy and when you add the travelling and the programmes, the whole thing is an awful lot of money.
‘At the FA we look at these things very carefully and try to make things as accessible as possible for the working-class man. I wouldn’t want to see football getting over-gentrified.
‘The away supporter is a very big part of the game and when you have a big away support it adds to the atmosphere.’
Referring to the FA Cup third-round tie between West Ham and Manchester United, he added: ‘The pressure of the Premier League is such that there’s often a fear factor in the games because of the downside of losing and relegation. And that’s part of the attraction. But the FA Cup is not quite the same. There’s a joy of winning and that was apparent in that game.
‘It was very joyous and positive, and there were 6,000 Manchester United fans there, which was marvellous. It had an old- fashioned feel. It was brilliant.
‘I think the away supporters should be really valued.’
Protest: Manchester City sent back around a third of their allocation due to the lofty prices
Bernstein addressed the issue of ticket prices as the FA prepared to launch their 150th anniversary celebrations at a star-studded event in London on Wednesday, but more generally he is satisfied with the health of the national game after a difficult 2012.
Elite football and the England team were embroiled in race-related problems, culminating in the resignation of Fabio Capello and John Terry’s retirement from international duty.
But Bernstein, fresh from a meeting with England coach Roy Hodgson, claims the future is not nearly so bleak as often predicted.
Worried: Bernstein thinks football is in danger of losing its connection with the 'working-class man'
‘Roy believes his choice is widening and I know he’s quite encouraged,’ said the chairman, who will join forces with Hodgson to persuade clubs to be more accommodating in releasing players for June’s European Under 21 Championships.
‘This whole call-up thing, not so much for the first team, but for the development teams, is a really important issue,’ he said.
‘We lost 54 players from the (Under 20 World Cup) squad in Colombia. We want a big improvement in that sort of support from the game and Roy leading that will be a great asset.’
Costly: Arsenal is the most expensive place to watch football in the Premier League
Bernstein will step down in July and hopes his legacy will include modifications to youth development, the opening of St George’s Park and Wembley’s progress as an international venue.
He is also credited with providing the FA’s moral leadership through last year’s tangled events and driving the anti-discrimination proposals which came out of the Terry and Luis Suarez cases and which will include a fixed tariff of punishments for future offenders.
‘It will definitely happen,’ said Bernstein. ‘A committee is reviewing it now. I can’t pre-empt what they might do but it must be strong, it must be balanced and it must be sensible. It will be more than we have seen in the past, I’m sure about that.’
Bernstein was speaking at the launch of an educational film for schoolchildren charting the England team’s meeting last year with Holocaust survivors and their visit to Auschwitz ahead of Euro 2012.
Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan Tweets she nearly knocked down Manchester City boyfriend Scott Sinclair
Manchester City star Scott Sinclair has had an unusual injury scare – in the curvy shape of girlfriend Helen Flanagan
Flanagan, 22, tweeted how she almost knocked down the Blues winger in her car as he got a suitcase from the boot.
The couple moved into a luxury mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire, shortly before Christmas and the Jungle beauty told how she was looking forward to the festive season in her new pad.
But Flanagan almost steam-rolled the romantic bliss.
The pin-up posted on her Twitter feed: “With my wing mirror hanging on for dear life. I nearly ran over my bf today too put it in reverse didn't realise he was getting his/Suitcase out the boot :/”
She added: “And it's impossible to park anywhere. Anyway heyyyy xx”
Follower Laura Jade Threlfall tweeted a photo of her meeting Sinclair to Flanagan and said: “such a nice guy your a very lucky girly”
Flanagan replied: “I am the luckiest girl he's so amazing :) x”
In December she told The Diary she has just moved into a new house with the 23-year-old City player.
The move came after Flanagan returned from her rocky, and mostly emotional, stint in the Australian jungle, suffering a series of failures in various challenges. She finally secured meals for the camp by putting her head in a perspex box and manoeuvring a star across a maze, with one of the boxes containing 10,000 cockroaches.
On her return, she told the M.E.N: "It was an amazing experience in Australia, I absolutely loved it. But I’m so glad to be home for Christmas.
"Scott and I have just moved into a new house so we are having our first Christmas together and I can’t wait."
Sinclair, who signed for Manchester City in August last year, was left on the bench during their 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday.
Manchester City youngsters Greg Leigh and Adam Drury set to sign new contracts
Sky Sports understands Manchester City youngsters Greg Leigh and Adam Drury are set to sign new deals with the Premier League champions.
Full-back Leigh and winger Drury are highly rated within the corridors of power at the Etihad Stadium.
Both players are yet to make a first-team appearance for City, but are tipped for big futures in Roberto Mancini's squad.
Drury is currently on loan at Burton Albion with City's coaching staff keen for him to gain some first-team experience.
18-year-old Leigh has been a regular in the Academy and elite development side and he has impressed in their FA Youth Cup campaign this season.
City are now set to reward the young pair with new two-year deals to keep them at the club.
GOLDEN WAG 16-1-2011
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Man City dream for Shameless' Frank
A dream has come true for Shameless star David Threlfall and his character, Frank Gallagher, after the comedy-drama filmed scenes at their beloved Manchester City.
Frank (David Threlfall) - Lives the dream
The Press Association reports that scenes filmed for the show's final episode on Tuesday show Frank scoring a goal at the City of Manchester Stadium.
"It is a life-changing moment for Frank Gallagher and David Threlfall," said a show spokeswoman.
The final series of Shameless will be shown in the spring and will include a cameo by Take That star Jason Orange as a DJ called Scouse Mouse and the return of former star Anne-Marie Duff as Fiona Gallagher.
Tottenham are ready to step up their attempt to sign Newcastle striker Andy Carroll and could make a record-breaking £30m bid for the 22-year-old. Sunday Mirror
Italian giants AC Milan are interested in signing Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, 24, and full-back Davide Santon, 22. Daily Mirror
Swansea's Gateshead-born striker Danny Graham, 27, who is thought to be a target for QPR, Norwich and Reading, is keen to secure a move to Sunderland and is to hold talks with Swans boss Michael Laudrup. Sun
Newcastle have made enquiries into deals for five players, including Saint Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 23, and former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere, 29, who plays for Lorient. Metro
Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 31, says he has made no decision over his future, amid speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool. talkSHIT
Barcelona are lining up Manchester United keeper David De Gea, 22, to replace Valdes if he leaves the club. Daily Star
QPR striker Djibril Cisse, 31, is set to move to the Middle East on a six-month loan to make way for £7m Marseille striker Loic Remy, 26. Daily Mirror
Leeds boss Neil Warnock has dismissed reports that striker Luciano Becchio, 29, who has been linked with a move to Wigan, was watching Roberto Martinez's team in their FA Cup replay at Bournemouth on Tuesday night. Sky Sports
Fulham are considering a move for out-of-favour Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock, 31. DSSC
Everton are monitoring Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue, 24, who is rated at £10m and is considered by some to be the new Marouane Fellaini. The Sun
Chelsea's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 20, says he wants to stay on loan at Atletico Madrid for another year. talkSHIT
Aston Villa are set to beat Sunderland to the signing of Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 22. Metro
Charlton are offering Bolton striker Marvin Sordell, 21, a chance to return south, a year after he left Watford. DSSC
Fulham are no longer chasing 19-year-old England goalkeeper Jack Butland as Martin Jol is on the verge of signing Roma's Maarten Stekelenburg, 29. talkSHIT
Fulham have told Norway defender John Arne Riise, 32, that he is free to leave the club this month, after a fall-out with manager Martin Jol. Times
Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk will consider selling Brazilian playmaker Willian to Chelsea or Tottenham this month but want around £20m for the 24-year-old. The Independent
Talks between Montpellier and Fenerbahce over the transfer of midfielder Younes Belhanda, 22, reportedly a target for Tottenham, are thought to have have stalled, despite the Moroccan agreeing to move to the Turkish club. L'equipe
Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, 33, has said Chelsea are "mad" to want to get rid of Frank Lampard, 34, saying the Englishman would be "welcomed with open arms" at Juventus. Sport 24
Newcastle may seek to fill the gap left by Demba Ba's move to Chelsea by signing Bafetimbi Gomis, 27, of Lyon for a fee of £8.7m. Lyon Capitale
Brazilian midfielder Nene, 31 has left Paris Saint-Germain to join Qatari side Al-Gharafa on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Sport 24
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez says that "real" fans of the club want him to win matches. DSSC
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill says he needs to add more players to his squad and insists no players will be allowed to leave before more are added. Newcastle Journal
Blackburn owners Venky's are travelling from India to watch Michael Appleton's first home match in charge against Charlton on Saturday, with club matriarch Anuradha Desai making only her second visit since November 2010. Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o, 31, has been keeping himself busy while at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala by creating a comic book. Metro
GOLDEN BOLLOX 16-1-2010
Can Man City’s Micah Richards finally live up to his billing?
Roberto Mancini has only been in Manchester for a month and he is already proving he is the man for the job. The Italian has added a sense of conviction to the Manchester City side and has succeeded in many of the areas that his predecessor Mark Hughes failed. Carlos Tevez appears a new man, having netted 10 goals in his last 7 games and even misfits Benjani and Roque Santa Cruz have found a new lease of life under the former Inter Milan boss. However, Mancini’s greatest accomplishment so far has to be the rejuvenation of the City defence, and in particular the rebirth of Micah Richards.
Behind Tevez, Richards has been the outstanding performer under Mancini and his performance against Blackburn Rovers on Monday was again, only eclipsed by Tevez. Before Mancini’s arrival Richards had experienced a dip in form and although he was still steadily improving as a player, many had begun to doubt whether he would fulfil the potential he had shown in the early stages of his career.
Still only 21, Richards burst onto the Manchester City scene at the age of 17 under the guidance of Stuart Pearce and quickly cemented his place as a member of the City first team. The youngsters form was so impressive that he was widely tipped as England’s long term replacement to Gary Neville and he gained his first England cap in a friendly against the Netherlands aged just 18 years old. Richards has recently shown signs of regaining the form that saw so much hype surround him and the 21 year old has admitted that he owes much of this to Mancini, who reinstalled Richards self-belief. Richards said: “He told me that I was a good player but that if I listened and learned he would turn me into a great player. Those words were really encouraging but I know that it is down to me to work hard. I keep saying it but I am still young. I know I had a dip in form last season but I believe that I have been better this time around and in recent weeks I have done okay. All I am concentrating on at the moment is playing well, winning games and staying in the side when the injured players come back.”
For an example of Richards recent rebirth there is no need to look further than Mondays Premier League encounter with Blackburn. Although Carlos Tevez stole the show with a sensational hat-trick, the pick of the bunch was still Richard’s goal. The defender picked the ball up in his own half and drove at the Blackburn defence who were helpless as the England international passed 5 Rovers players before picking a perfect pass to Benjani who struck the post, only for Richards to tap in the rebound. The right back deserved his luck as he was unselfish in picking the correct pass for the former Portsmouth striker and continued his run to finish the job at the back post. Richards is just one of the players that Mancini has rejuvenated and the Italian Job is well under way at Eastlands as Manchester City continue their charge up the table. It has not just been the results of late that have impressed but the manner in which City have performed. Whilst they sometimes looked questionable and were often found wanting under Hughes, they now seem efficient and professional under the tutelage of Mancini. It is something that can also be applied to Richards, who not only looks a better player, but is also showing the excitement in his play that gained his reputation as an 18 year old. A late surge to displace Glen Johnson in South Africa? I wouldn’t rule it out.
LAHAD'S BINGO CIRCLE OF BOLLOX
A perfect place to honour the Fez & Nipple Tassel wearing one ....
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